Combination container and first aid splint



June 9, 1942.

E D. M BRIDE COMBINATION CONTAINER AND FIRST AID SPLINT Filed July 5, 1940 [4/21. 0. Mc 82/05 INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented June 9, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Earl D. McBride, Oklahoma City, Okla. Application July 5, 1940, Serial No. 344,091

2 Claims.

This invention relates in general to a container and a removable closure therefor, and it is the chief object of the invention to provide a container which is particularly adapted to serve as a first aid kit in which the lid or closure is in the form of an adjustable splint which may be used as a support or protector for an injured or broken limb or other part of the body.

From years of experience I have learned that a large percentage of the cases in which broken limbs do not knit properly or quickly are directly due to failure to properly splint the limbs before the patient is removed to a hospital or to a doctors ofiice. In other words if such an emergency splint, as is mentioned above, was at hand at the time of the accident, even a novice at first aid might splint the broken limb and prevent shattering of the bone ends while the patient was being taken to a doctor, thus avoiding a possible permanent or semi-permanent injury.

Other objects of the invention, therefore, are to provide a lengthwise adjustable splint which is so constructed that it may be used with facility for supporting either long or short bones; a splint which is light but strong; which occupies no more space than the container of which it is a part; and

which is so constructed that it may be bent partially around a broken member to give exceptionally good support thereto.

The details in the construction of a preferred form of my invention, together with other objects attending its production, will be better understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, which is chosen for illustrative purposes only, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container and closure embodying the invention, the view being taken with the container inverted, and with the telescoping closure or lid partially extended;

Figure 2 is a side view of the container with the closure or lid shown in section;

Figure 3 is an end view of the container with the closure or lid shown in section;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of one of the plurality of sections which made up the closure or lid.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawing it will be seen that the container is preferably a four walled hollow body 5 which preferably has a continuous integral outwardly extending flange along the top edges of each of the four walls. The parts of this flange, for the purpose of clarity in explanation, are designated by four numerals 6, 'I, 8 and 9.

The closure, cover, or lid for the four walled body 5 is made up of a plurality of sheet-like secticns II I I, and I2 which sections are of substantially the same width, and have their respective side edges reversely turned under, as shown in Figure 3, the turned under edges of the various sections being respectively designated by the numerals I3 and I4, I5 and I6, and I1 and I8. These turned under edges form respectively complemental slideways which afford an interfitting slidable telescoping relation between the sections, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3. In other words the slideways formed on the outermost section II) by the reversely turned edges I3 and I4 are adapted to slidably receive the section II, while the slideways formed on the section II by the turned edges I5 and I6 are adapted to slidably receive the section I2. The slideways formed on the section I2 by the turned edges I1 and I8 are adapted to receive the longitudinally extending parts 'I and 9 of the integral flange on the body 5, thus serving as a means for slidably and removably securing the entire sectional closure to the four walled container 5.

As a means of rendering the container substantially dust proof when closed, I prefer to provide the outermost section I0 and the innermost section I2 with turned under ends, I9 and 20 respectively, which form pockets which are substantially continuous with the slideways formed along the side edges of these sections. The pocket I9 serves to receive the portion 8 of the body flange, as well as the adjacent ends of the sections I I and I2, while the pocket 20 receives that portion 6 of the container body flange. If preferred, however, all the sections may be made similar to the section II, as shown in Figure 4, with the end pockets omitted. With the end pockets omitted, as in Figure 4, it will be understood that the closure could be removed as a unit by simply sliding it off either end of the container body 5. With the end pockets included, as shown in Figure 1, the section II] is removed first, then the other two sections II and I2 may be slid off of the opposite end of the body 5.

Regardless of whether or not the pockets I9 and 20 are included, the sections which make up the closure may be used either singly or in any combination assembled relation as a splint. The turned under side edges of the various sections lend considerable rigidity to the sheet-like sections. In addition, each section is provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs, the cross sectional configuration and relative spacing being clearly shown in Figure 3. These ribs add rigidity to the various sections, yet do not interfere in any way with the lateral curvature of the sections in case it is desired to bend any section or sections to conform to a limb which is being splinted. The respective ribs of the various sections are designated by the following numerals: section iii-2l, 22 and 23; section |I24, 25 and 26; section I221, 28 and 29.

As a means of facilitating the binding of a section or assembled sections to a limb I preferably provide each section with a plurality of spaced slots 30, 3!, 32 and 33, through which straps, bandages, or other binding means may be inserted, the slots serving to hold the binding means in proper position, as well as to prevent accidental separation of the various assembled sections. The slots in the various sections are, of course, placed in longitudinal alignment.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided an extremely efficient first aid kit, which combines a practical first aid splint, which is adjustablevas to length so that it may be used with facility in splinting bones of varying lengths; which is adequately rigid for its intended use; which occupies no more space than the kit itself; which is so simply constructed that it can be cheaply manufactured; and which, if widely used and distributed, would result in a considerable decrease in permanent injuries due to broken or fractured bones or joints.

I call attention to the fact that the length, width, or depth of the container may be varied without in any way departing from the principles of the invention. As a means of encourging the use of first aid kits per se, however, the size of the container would have considerable effect. For instance, a kit made approximately the proportions shown in the drawing would readily fit into the glove or package compartment of most automobiles in use at present and would therefore encourage the use of first aid kits by motorists. A kit of such size would also fit into the coat pocket of a mans suit; in fact a container of this type can be made of such size and compactness that it will encourage the use of first aid kits by many different classes of people.

In addition to the above, it must be considered that this container is so constructed that the cover will not accidentally come open or even partially open. For this reason the container can easily be rendered airtight and watertight by simply sealing the respectively juxtaposed edges and ends of the cover and container. It could be thus used as regular equipment by soldiers without any possiblity of the contents being contaminated before use.

I claim:

1. In a combination container and first aid splint, a four walled body, and a combination first aid splint and closure for said body which includes a plurality of telescopically nested substantially planar sections; a co-operating tongue and groove arrangement along the top edges of the side walls of said body and along the side edges of said closure for slidably but removably holding the closure on said walled body; and a co-operating tongue and groove arrangement along the top edges of the opposite end walls of said body and along the adjacent ends of two of said closure sections for snugly sealing the oppositerends of said body when the sections are completely telescoped.

2. In a container, a four walled body having an integral, horizontal, continuous fiange extending outwardly along the top edge of its four walls, and a combination body closure and first aid splint comprising: a plurality of sheet like sections all of which have reversely bent side edges forming respectively complemental slideways which afford an interfitting slidable telescopic relation between the sections, the slideways on the side edges of the innermost one of said sections adapted to receive that portion of said flange which is integral with the side walls of said body, thus removably holding said closure on said body; a similar slideway similarly formed at one end only of one of said sections and adapted to'snugly receive that portion of said flange which lies along the adjacent end wall of said body; and a similar slideway similarly formed at one opposed end only of another one of said sections and adapted to snugly receive that portion of said flange which lies along the adjacent and opposite end wall of said body, whereby when the closure is in position on said body and all of said sections are completely telescoped, the end walls as well as the side walls are sealed against the entry of dirt.

EARL D. MCBRIDE. 

